Just read this from Haberstroh over at espn.com (insider), in his 'best free agent fits' piece:

Stuckey's QO is at 3.9 million rounded up, so you're probably looking at around 5ish or more to pry him away from Detroit. I'm thinking probably not worth it since you've got a free year for Bayless to prove himself and there's no shortage of quality point guards in the NBA right now so going after one down the line probably won't be that tough, but it's an interesting idea. Discuss!

We have two score first make passes later point guards already. No need for a third in my opinion.

Sure his career ended quick. One year you are playing, the next you aren't. That doesn't mean he would have been ineffective if he stuck around for a few more. (doesn't mean he would have been effective either ofcourse).

That said, being 'smart' when one ends their career is probably a rarity for alot of athletes. Bowen did it like alot of players should, but seem not to.

And a players defense is unquestionably helped by his team, which makes DRTG a bit of a 'harder' stat to work with (not to mention who a player covers... ie. a guy like Bowen almost always got the tougher check). Hedo for instance had a DRTG of 110 with Phoenix last year and 103 with Orlando. I just used it to give a rough idea of where he stood compared to most.

But this whole idea of losing athleticism and no longer being an effective defender I just don't think is true. There is ofcourse a point where its inevitable (especially with injuries/wear and tear etc). But a guy like Battier could easily finish out his career similar to how Bowen did and be extremely useful for another 3-5 years.

(again not by any means saying that the Raps should sign Battier)

Bowen couldn't catch onto a team at the end. Even the Spurs didn't want him back even though it wouldn't have cost them anything. He was completely done.

While athleticism is not necessary for big men to still be decent defenders, on the wing you need to be able to stay with your man. And one big difference between Battier and Bowen is that Battier was never the most quick footed defender, anyway, so him losing a step or two would affect him A LOT more than other guys.

Guy is tough as nails and a solid defender.... but he doesn't pass and can't hit a 3 to save his life. Not exactly pg material in my books.

Calderon > Bayless > Stuckey

I fourth that. That would be an awful pickup. Haberstroh doesn't impress me if he thinks Stuckey would be a perfect fit for the Raptors. I do like his comment that Stuckey become a better distributor last year. From bad to not very good!

News wire

Not that it matters to us but Gasol probably isn't going anywhere:

People with knowledge of Heisley's thinking are convinced that the Grizzlies will match any offer sheet Gasol signs with another suitor. Memphis would have three days to match under the proposed collective bargaining agreement.

In addition to the ESPN article ranking Stuckey at #7 for the Raptors, there was also the obvious...

2. Tyson Chandler -- Toronto Raptors
Chandler could decide to return to the Mavericks, but he could also choose to follow Dwane Casey from the Dallas Mavericks' bench to Toronto. Casey, the newly hired Raptors head coach, was the defensive guru behind the Mavericks' wall that stifled the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat en route to a title.

Chandler flourished as the anchor to Casey's system, and the Raptors have the cash to offer the center big money. Of course, Dallas owner Mark Cuban notoriously breaks the bank for his centers, so there's a good chance Chandler will defend the title. However, a Casey and Chandler connection would be ideal for Toronto.

Now I'm not saying that the Raps have any shot at the bigger names on that list, this is just to illustrate how many quality point guards will be on the market. BUT with so many teams competing for the big names, that means the Raps could find some bargains like the last guy on that list, George Hill.

Now I'm not saying that the Raps have any shot at the bigger names on that list, this is just to illustrate how many quality point guards will be on the market. BUT with so many teams competing for the big names, that means the Raps could find some bargains like the last guy on that list, George Hill.

George Hill is yet another SG in a PG's body. I'd prefer to grab a pure, pass first, run the offense, type of PG....perhaps via a 2nd pick in next year's draft.

Well so would I, but the chances of grabbing a solid PG like that in the second round are pretty freaking slim. In fact I can't think of a single one that's in the league right now that's good enough to play starter's minutes.

Well so would I, but the chances of grabbing a solid PG like that in the second round are pretty freaking slim. In fact I can't think of a single one that's in the league right now that's good enough to play starter's minutes.

I meant a 2nd pick, not a 2nd round pick. But Colangelo will have to pull a few strings to make that happen

i actually like the idea of stuckey but only if he's going to play SG or be 6th man. as duly noted he's not a facilitator by any means but he's a fantastic scorer and can defend. has demar put on any muscle this summer? play him at the 3 (for a year at least) and stuckey at SG and lets do this.